Susquehanna Valley defeated visiting Windsor, 34-7 Saturday in the Section 4 Football Conference. At halftime, it was 7-apiece.

Records / Up next

Windsor (1-5) hosts Norwich on Friday.

Susquehanna Valley (5-1) visits unbeaten Chenango Forks on Saturday.

Turning point

It was a one-touchdown difference when, with Windsor facing third-and-6 from SV’s 46-yard line late in the third quarter, linebacker William Sheridan belted Black Knights quarterback Zach Wolcott from behind while Wolcott was releasing a pass. The resulting incompletion prompted a punt.

The hosts’ Josh Rudock fielded the punt at about his 20-yard line and zipped up SV’s sideline to the Black Knights’ 12. Windsor was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that advanced the ball to the 6, from which point Joe Hoskins fought his way through the interior for a score with 86 seconds left in the quarter. Jarred Freije’s PAT made it 21-7.

Key Plays

** Windsor's Dante Kimbrough accepted a shotgun snap and scooted left for 44 yards to SV’s 23. Four plays later, Kimbrough closed a 78-yard drive by rushing in from 4 yards with a minute remaining in the first half. Kieran Horton’s PAT made for a 7-7 ballgame.

** With SV looking at a third-and-17 predicament from its 35-yard line, Freije spotted Edwin Lavin deep down the field and Lavin ran through three tackle attempts on his way to a 65-yard scoring reception and 14-7 lead midway into the third quarter.

** Still within two TDs, Windsor had third-and-16 from its 35 when Sheridan barreled in to sack Wolcott 10 yards back of the line of scrimmage and force a fumble that the Sabers’ Shawn Tarbox recovered.

** Hoskins took his final carry outside-right, eluded one defender near the line of scrimmage, made his way to the Sabers’ sideline and darted 80 yards for the lock-it-up score with seven minutes remaining. That made it 27-7.

Buy Photo

Sabers get organized during a break in the action against Windsor.(Photo: Kevin Stevens / Staff Photo)

SV coach Mike Ford said …

“At halftime, we had a realization that we were in a football game and we talked about how as the year has gone on we’ve kind of started slow and been a better second-half football team. We talked about what kind of half we’re going to have, what we’re going to do about it. We talked about, do we want to be able to control our own destiny or let someone make that decision for us.

“For us, it’s huge. Home-field advantage is going to be big for the playoffs. We secured that for ourselves for the first round, that’s a big thing. We have a big crowd, the community is coming out to support us.”

Sabers quarterback Freije said …

Of a running game that generated 289 yards: “We fought through tackles. We didn’t go down on just the first hit or first tackler, and our linemen sustained their blocks and opened up holes really nice for us so we get it and just go up the field.”

And of the big pass play to Lavin: “He made his cut really hard, separated himself from the safety. The corner on the right side came up on the fake and it just opened it up well in the middle.”

Statistical leaders

SV’s Hoskins rushed 15 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns.

Sabers quarterback Freije’s three pass completions went for an average gain of 42 yards.

Windsor’s Kimbrough turned his 24 rushes into 139 yards.

Etc., etc.

** Susquehanna Valley came into the game ranked 20th in Class B by the New York State Sports Writers Association.

** Windsor has dropped four in a row, having allowed 27 or more points in each game.